


Bake Me A Cake(or a Bear Claw)

by pinkevilbob



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:40:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23424100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: Jester was going to ask out a handsome baker, but there's a complication she wasn't planning on.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 22
Kudos: 133





	Bake Me A Cake(or a Bear Claw)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Bonesout](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bonesout/gifts).



> It's Bones' Birthday! Hap Birthday! She wanted a bakery AU so I wrote this!

Jester stood outside of the Kitty Biscuits Bakery gathering her nerve. She had been going to the bakery for weeks now, at first just for the tasty goodies, but eventually to also see the handsome owner. And this was going to be the day where she finally asked him out. With confidence(or at least faking confidence), Jester went inside.

And there he was, Caleb, the handsome baker. He had his wavy auburn hair in a ponytail showing off his earrings. Add in the hint of a beard and his blue eyes and he was the complete package. 

He looked up as Jester entered. “Oh, hello.”

“Hi!” Jester said. She looked over the display pretending that all she wanted was a treat. “What do you recommend today?”

“Hmmm, I’m trying out a new recipe for bear claws. Maybe you can give me your opinion on them,” Caleb said.

Jester grinned. It wasn’t the first time Caleb asked for her opinion on a new baked good. “Sure! But your bear claws are still pretty good even if they’re Dwendalian style.”

Caleb chuckled. “Funny you mention that. I’m going in a completely different direction for this batch.”

“Yeah? What makes them special?” Jester asked.

“Well,” Caleb began to say, but he was interrupted by a small curly headed child toddling out of the back of the shop and grabbing a cookie from the display. Caleb’s face turned bright and he sputtered. “L-Luc, you’re supposed to stay in the back when I’m working.”

The little boy looked up at him. “Cookie.”

“Ja, but you should ask before you take a cookie,” Caleb said, but there wasn’t much force behind it.

Luc took a bite of the cookie. “Pwease?” he said with his mouthful.

Caleb sighed. “Ja, you may have a cookie.” He covered his face for a moment. “Your mother is going to kill me,” he muttered. “Now, can you go back to your coloring book?”

“Okay. Bye,” Luc said before toddling off again.

“I swear I’m not using child labor,” Caleb said.

Jester shook her head. “No, I wasn’t thinking that at all.” Her mind was too busy racing about Caleb having a son. Though, really, she shouldn’t have been surprised that the baker was already taken. He was sweet and handsome. And to think she was about to make a fool of herself by asking him out.

“Good,” Caleb said. “So that was a bear claw. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No, I’m good,” Jester said hurriedly. She paid for her treat as quickly as she could.

Caleb took his time getting the bearclaw ready. “I was wondering if I could ask you something?” he asked as he handed her the treat. His face was slightly red.

“Um, I, I need to go,” Jester said as she hurried out of the store. She couldn’t believe how close she was to humiliating herself in front of Caleb. Of course he was married. Though now that Jester thought about it, he didn’t have a wedding ring. But, he probably got his hands dirty a lot baking, so maybe he wore it on a chain to keep it safe. Or maybe he didn’t believe in marriage. Both were possible options. Groaning she plopped down on a bench and took a bite of her bearclaw. 

Cinnamon. Just like how they made them in Nicodranas. A smile curled on her face as she let nostalgia wash over her. Jester was happy in Zadash, but it was easy to miss home sometimes. If she closed her eyes, it was almost like she was sharing pastries with her mom. All too soon, she finished her bearclaw and was craving more. She bit her lip thinking it over. Could she go back to the bakery already? Before she could talk herself out of it, she found herself back at Kitty Biscuits Bakery.

The bell jingled as she entered and Caleb looked up from the cash register. “Oh, you’re back already.” A smile was on his face.

“I took care of what I needed to already,” Jester said. “And the bear claw was too good to resist.”

“You liked it?” Caleb asked.

Jester nodded. “Yeah! It tasted just like the ones they make back home.”

Caleb’s grin grew. “I’m glad then. I was worried they wouldn’t measure up.”

“They measured up great!” Jester said.

The door jingled again behind her. A short plump woman wearing a button necklace came in. “Hi Cay!”

“Veth, you’re early,” Caleb said. “I’ll let Luc know you’re here.” He went into the back of the bakery.

“Well, I came back as quickly as I could,” Veth said. “Thanks for watching Luc for me!”

Caleb returned holding Luc in his arms. The toddler squirmed trying to get out of his arms. “Mama!”

Veth took Luc from the baker. “Thank you again. I don’t know what Yeza and I would do without you.” She hitched Luc higher on her hip. “Say goodbye to Uncle Caleb.”

“Bye-bye.” Luc waved at Caleb.

“Goodbye you two.” Caleb turned back to Jester after they left. “Sorry about that.”

“So that’s not your kid?” Jester blurted out.

Caleb shook his head. “Nein. Their babysitter was unavailable at the last second, so I was filling in.”

“Oh good,” Jester said. Caleb raised an eyebrow at this. “Oh, I just meant that you were being a good friend.”

“Thanks.” Caleb’s face turned red. 

Silence hung there a moment between them. “Can I ask you a question?” Caleb and Jester asked at the same time. 

“Oh go ahead,” Caleb said.

“Um, why did you decide to make Nicodranian bear claws?” Jester asked.

Caleb shrugged looking away. “Oh, well, you mentioned missing them the first time you came here and last week you were talking about how you wished you could visit Nicodranas, so I thought I’d finally try my hand at them.”

“Really?” Jester stared at him. She could hardly believe that he paid such close attention to her.

“Ja, I have a good memory, so I try to use it,” Caleb said. He rubbed the back of his neck.

Jester smiled. “So, what was your question?”

Caleb’s face managed to turn a brighter red and he turned away. “I was wondering if you would like to go out for coffee or something. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I’d like to spend more time with you.”

Jester’s jaw dropped. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything,” Caleb said. “You can forget it if you want.”

“Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing, but I kinda lost my nerve,” Jester said.

Caleb stared at her. “Really?”

“Yeah!”

“I get off at 3 if today works for you,” Caleb said.

Jester grinned widely. “Three works perfectly.”


End file.
